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- Dec 31, 2013
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What are the rules in having the same character appear in multiple stories?
I've noticed, for example, that Jim C Hines has used his superhero psychologist Jarhead in multiple stories, and Jody Lynn Nye has used the police officer with the squid alien in her stomach in multiple stories. And then, of course, there are novelists who also write short stories set in the same universe (e.g., Jim Butcher's Dresden Files short stories).
Is this something that a writer can just do--write multiple stories with a recurring character, for instance, and sub them just like they would any other work? Or does this run into problems with encumbered rights? Would a writer need to seek permission from Market A to have a character that appeared in a Market A story also appear in a Market B story? Would the writer need to disclose to Market B that the character was introduced in Market A? Or is this something that is generally not allowed except in special situations?
I've noticed, for example, that Jim C Hines has used his superhero psychologist Jarhead in multiple stories, and Jody Lynn Nye has used the police officer with the squid alien in her stomach in multiple stories. And then, of course, there are novelists who also write short stories set in the same universe (e.g., Jim Butcher's Dresden Files short stories).
Is this something that a writer can just do--write multiple stories with a recurring character, for instance, and sub them just like they would any other work? Or does this run into problems with encumbered rights? Would a writer need to seek permission from Market A to have a character that appeared in a Market A story also appear in a Market B story? Would the writer need to disclose to Market B that the character was introduced in Market A? Or is this something that is generally not allowed except in special situations?
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